Flexible cover for dumping bodies



Dec. 23, 1930. E. WILLIAMS 1,736,048

FLEXIBLE COVER FOR DUMPING BODIES Filed Jan. 1l, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet lDec. 23, 1930. L. E. wlLLlAMs 1,786,043

FLEXIBLE COVER FOR DUMPING BODIES Filed Jan. l1, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Dec. 23, 1930 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEROY E. IILLIAMS,4OF EDGERTON, WISCONSIN, -ASSIGNOR TO HIGHWAY TRAILER COMPANY, OFEDGERTON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN FLEXIBLE covnn roislnUMriNcr BODIES Application filed January 117 1928. `Serial No.245,844.

This invention relates to dump body vehicles adapted for use in refusecollection and for similar purposes, and it is Vparticularly concernedwith means for covering a body of the type which is mounted for tiltingor rolling to discharge its load. The object of the invention is toprovide a simplified compact, light weight cover construction, which maybe positioned to afford free dumping ac tion of the body. Another objectis to pro` vide an improved construction which shallv be economical tomanufacture, and durable and simple in operation. It consists 'incertain featuresv and'elements of construction, as hereinshownanddescribed, and as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings: r Figure 1 is a diagrammatic end view of a vehicle`body providedwith covers embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary end view with parts in sectionshowing the cover Y portions in extended position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation, showing parts of thevehicle body.

diagrammatically.

Figure f1 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through theroller and roller operating mechanism.

Figure 5 is an enlarged :end view of the operating gearing on the endframe for ros tating the roller.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of a fastening member on thecover for securing the same to the body.

As illustrated in the drawings, the loadcarrying body indicated at 1, isof the upward open type,rprovided with rockers, 2, which are mounted toroll laterally on'transverse cross rails, 3, of the vehicle frame topermit rolling of the body to either side for discharging its load. Itwill be understood that the body, l, is designed with its center ofgravity located so that the body may be. rolled to dumping position orreturned to upright position with small application of force and may beeasily manipulated by a single operator.` The body may be made fast tothe vehicle frame by any of the usual locking mechans'ms which form nopart of the present inv Vthe body.

vention. Vehicles of this type are frequently employ'ed'for transportingrefuse such as ashes, :garbage and the like, andit is desirable toprovide a cover to enclose the load while in transit, preferably thiscover should be of flexible material to conform somewhat totheirregularities of theload. vIt is further desirable that the cover beso mounted as 'to permit free and unobstructed dumping action of thebody.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 to 6, the cover is mountedindependently of the bodyso as not to alter its center of gravity in anyrespect. A pair of upright Aframes, 'lvof angle construction areAmounted on the vehicle main frame adjacent the ends of the body, and theupper ends of said A-fraines are provided with bearing brackets, 5, forsupporting a longitudinally extending hollow shaft, 6, through sleeveextensions, 7, of plugs1 8, which abut against the ends of saidbearings. Said plugs are loosely mounted on opposite ends of the shaft,6, which extends centrally above the load-carrying space of A vehiclebody of relatively short length could be enclosed by a single section ofcover, but as shown herein the body is provided with two sections ofcover, which, for convenience may be independently operated to expose adesired portion of the body. The cover sections are of light weightflexible material such as rubberized sheeting or canvas sections; eachcover section is attached at its transverse median line to the roller,10, by means of a retaining plate, 11, which divides the cover sectioninto two oppositely extending portions, 12, of sulicient length to beextended to the opposite flanged edges of the body, 1. The rollers arepreferably hollow with their outer ends fastened on the plugs, 8, andinner ends on plugs, 9, for free turning on the shaft, 6, and held inspaced relation thereon by a collar, 13, pinned on said shaft betweensaid rollers. The retaining plates, 11, extend the length of andapproximately 120o around the peripherv of said rollers and have theiredges doubled back at 11a to provide smoothly rounded edges engaging thecover portions, 12, as shown in Figure 2- It Will now be clear that byrotating a roller one of the cover portions, 12` Will be Wound onto theroller While the other cover portion is wound over the retaining plate,11. rlhis arrangement results in the interwinding of these coverportions on the roller at tangents thereto on opposite sides of theroller. It is preferable that the cover portions be of sufficientlength, so that in extended position they will have at least a singleWrap around the roller as shown in Figure 2.

Each of the rollers is provided with independent operating mechanismarranged on the A-frames, d. Each of these mechanisms includes atransverse operating shaft, 15, journaled in a. bracket, 16, secured tothe A- frame, said shaft having a bevel gear, 17, thereon, ineshed Witha bevel gear, 18, mounted on a stud, 19, also journaled in bracket, 16,at right angles to shaft, 15. The stub is provided With a head, 20,abutting the inner end of the hub of gear, 18, While the opposite end ofthe stub is pinned in said bracket. A sprocket, 21, is formed integralwith the gear, 18, and is connected by a drive chain, 23, to a sprocket,22, on the end of sleeve, 7, outside of bearing, 5. Both ends of shaft,15, are provided With operating handles, 2l, for driving this mechanismthrough the sprockets for rotating the roller, 10, to vrind up the coverportions, 12.

The Winding mechanism for the roller is preferably arranged so that theroller may be rotated only in cover Winding direction and also tomaintain the cover portions fairly taut When extended over the body. Tothis end, a paWl, 25, slidably carried in a bore. 26, in the hub ofsprocket, is positioned in yielding Contact With the ratchet teeth, 27,of a crown face ratchet, 28, formed on the outer end of bearing bracket,5. Thus it will be clear that the sprocket, 22, and its winch mechanismmay be operated freely for rotation of the roller in cover Windingdirection, which permits the paivl, 25, to slide over the teeth, 27, ofthe stationary ratchet, 28, While the tendency to rotate the roller inopposite direction is checked by the paivl engaging the face of theteeth said ratchet. This ratchet mechanism is disengageable at will topermit the. cover portions to be unwound from the roller in extendedposition for securement to the edges of the body. The bore, 2G, in thehub of the sprocket, 22, is square as is the pawl, 25, to maintain saidpaivl in teeth engaging position with the ratchet, 28. The pau'l isconnected to a stem, 29, slidable in a plug, 30, secured in the outerend of the bore, 2G, of said sprocket. A coil spring, 31, is mounted onsaid stem intermediate the pawl and plug for forcing the latter inyielding Contact with the ratchet teeth. Said stem is pr vided With atransverse pin, 32, slidable in a slot, 33, in the plug, 30, and With a.handle, 2, on the outer end of the stem for 1yr/sacas pulling said stemlongitudinally, until said pin, 32, is out of its slot so that it may beturned to abut against the end of the plug for holding the paivl awayfrom the ratchet against the reaction of the spring, 31. Thus the rollermay be freed to permit the cover portions to be unwound, anc. after thecovers are secured to the body the ratchet mechanism may again be set inoperative relation and a partial turn of the handle, 2fl, will take upany slack in the cover portions.

llhe cover portions, 12, arc provided with fastening members, 35, forengaging the flanged edges, 36, of the body, 1, and these fasteningmembers each have a coil spring, 37, connecting said members with thecover portions, so that said cover portions Will at all times bemaintained at tension when in body covering position, as shown in FigureG. To partially relieve the sag of the cover' por tions when extended, asuitable number of longitudinally extending reinforcing rods,

may be provided.

The upper end plate, 39, of the body, 1, may be mat e. either a part ofthe body or fastened to the ,Ci-frame, and for purpose of illustrationthis end plate is shown mounted adjacent the end ol the body on anextension, 5, of the bearing bracket, 5. This plate preferably has itsupper edges aligned in the plane at which the respective cover portionsextend tangentially from the roller sov that this upper edge of theplate, 39, serves to guide and partially support said cover portionsWhen in extended position.

I claim:

1. A cover for a vehicle body comprising a shaft mounted to extendlongitudinally over the load-carrying space of the body, brackets inwhich said shaft is supported, a roller loosely mounted on the shaft anda flexible cover secured to the roller extensible over the load-carryingspace, together with means for rotating the roller to Wind said coverthereon comprising a sleeve loose on the shaft and connected to saidroller, saidsleeve extendingl through one of the brackets and journaledtherein, and gearing connected for driving the sleeve to rotate theroller.

2. In combination with the structure set forth in claim 1, a secondroller similar to the first and mounted on the shaft longitudinallyadjacent said first roller, with a sleeve journaled in the otherbracket, a second flexible cover secured to said second roller andseparate driving means for the sleeve thereof.

8. A cover for a vehicle body comprising a shaft extendinglongitudinally over the loadcarrying space of the body, brackets inwhich said shaft is supported, a roller loosely mounted on the shaft, aflexible cover secured to the roller and extensible over saidloadcarrying` space, and detent means carried With the roller andyieldingly engageable with said bearing bracket adapted to permitrotation of the roller only in cover-Winding direction, but disengagebleat will from said bracket to free the roller for permitting the cover tobe unwound.

4. In the structure set forth in claim l, a detent surface on thebracket at the end remote from the roller, and a yieldingly detentdevice carried by the sleeve in position to coi operate With saidsurface, adapted topermit rotation of the roller only in cover-Windingdirection, but disengageable at Will to permit Winding the cover.

LEROY E. WILLIAMS.

